Man jailed over threats to burn down every mosque in Newcastle says ‘no-one can say anything these days’
A man was sent to prison for threatening to burn down every mosque in Newcastle. After being arrested, he claimed that “no one can say anything these days.”
The man, James Aspin, a 34-year-old father of four, posted a video on social media shortly after three girls were killed in Southport in August. In the video, he made statements targeting Muslims and blaming them for serious crimes in the country.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Aspin admitted to sharing a video meant to encourage racial hatred. The judge, Carolyn Scott, described the language in his TikTok post as “offensive and dangerous.”
“You blamed people who follow Islam for terrible crimes committed in this country,” Judge Scott said.
When questioned by police, Aspin defended his actions by saying, “No one can say anything these days.”
During sentencing, the judge considered Aspin’s guilty plea and his ADHD diagnosis. However, she said his actions were too serious to avoid jail time.
“The words you used in your TikTok post are unacceptable and must not be tolerated,” the judge stated. “Such words can inspire others to take harmful actions that deeply affect the lives of innocent people.”
